Guidance for Transition to New, Different, More Effective or Greater Possibility

Transitions

Perhaps you are experiencing significant change in your life . . .

. . . you've entered a new stage in life and it happened so fast you wonder how you got there, you retired, your relationship status changed, or your work is no longer fulfilling. Perhaps you're feeling anxiety about how you will find your way through it. Fear or not knowing how to navigate has kept you from taking action. You may feel alone and wonder how to get support.

Perhaps you're a good leader, but your company is undergoing tremendous change and you wonder how to most effectively guide your people through the change. They are feeling overwhelmed and uncertain as well and you are expected to lead them.

Maybe you're very excited about a new vision and want to be sure to create it. You'd like the support of someone who will help you craft and gauge your path forward, hold you accountable, challenge you and support you.

Times of transition can be filled with uncertainty, which can cause anxiety or fear. Yet, whether chosen or caused by unexpected circumstances, transitions lead us to new rewarding chapters in our lives. Transitions are the fluid foundation of our lives. They provide us with the ability to take additional steps toward reaching new goals. Transitions are simply a natural course for us, especially when we want to get the most from life. There is a process that makes transitions manageable and yes, enjoyable!

A transition is a period of personal reorganization and revitalization between Life Chapters. Periods of stability and structure can be seen as the “chapters” of our lives, times when –for the most part—life seems mostly harmonious, purposeful, predictable, and goal-oriented.

The basic flow of our lives is a cycle of stable times followed by transitions, throughout our lives. This flow follows a pattern of predictable phases. When life is working, we are expansive, things are positive, we're reaching goals. Then we have new realizations and may become unproductive, a dream fades, we feel stuck or trapped and need downtime. Usually, there's an interim phase in which we either improve on the first phase or turn inward to a more reflective phase in which we tap inner resources, explore values and awaken new possibilities. This is when we often seek guidance. Eventually, we explore the world again, feeling optimistic, confident, ready to create.

If you understand this pattern of change, and where you are in it, you can identify the best choices for guiding your life, at any time, any where, regardless of the amount and complexity of change you are enduring.

When seeking new destinations, while captains of our own ships, partnering with a 'professional navigator' can help set your most effective course.

Who I AM

Cheryl Martin, M.A.

What I do

I am a transition/reinvention strategist and guide recognized as a thought leader in the area of change. I achieve exceptional results with individual and organizational change and growth. I've helped leaders in numerous industries build effective change strategies for their organizations and directed the implementations. My corporate change work has been based on how individuals experience the process of change and I've worked at two levels: building change strategy with leaders and implementing change plans with employees experiencing change.

I've transitioned to work with individual leaders and entrepreneurs as well as individuals in personal transition. My work takes two primary forms.

Guide individuals in life transitions (new, different, more effective or greater possibility) to understand the most effective choices for where they are and realize their greatest possibilities

Guide leaders when their company is undergoing tremendous change and they're unclear how to most effectively navigate and guide their people who may be feeling overwhelmed and/or uncertain and are counting on their leaders to guide them.

It's often said that effective leadership is an "inside job," which indicates that it involves self awareness and personal growth. This is the aspect of leadership work that I enjoy most . . . guiding leaders to more aware, authentic and effective leadership that serves them and everyone they lead, enabling them to be more effective change leaders.

I encourage the development of positive interactions: effective communication based upon dialogue, navigating for shared success, and aspirations for the future. These are the components for integrated solutions for effective change within personal and professional environments.

My education and experience is a combination of communication, counseling psychology, organizational effectiveness, and executive coaching, which is a powerful integration that supports my work helping clients to get amazing results.

I help my clients realize their own enlightenment and brilliance and reach their greatest possibilities by guiding them in some of the following ways.

Redesign Actions... Embody new skills and capabilities through incremental improvement.

Reshape Thinking... Reshape the underlying patterns of your thinking and behavior so you are capable of different things

Shift Context or Point of View about Self... Understand the context from which you draw your identity and basic patterns of thinking and behavior.

I like to make my clients' experience truly unforgettable!

What I've Done

Organizational Effectiveness Professional

Corporate Change Management Leader

Helped Organizations Improve Individual & Organizational Performance

I've led the people side of corporate change initiatives for over twenty years. As a change management professional I've built and led change strategy and plans for some of the largest global corporations based on how individuals process change and what it takes for individuals to change behaviors, which is the foundation of corporate change strategy. The goal is to make change sustainable and an important aspect of that approach is guiding leaders and their employees to participate in the change process and own it. Some of the corporations I've worked with include Regis Learning, Whitewave Foods, calSTRS, Federal Express, Dept of Defense, Cabela's, Progressive Insurance, IHS, Encana Natural Gas, EchoLab and Cigna.

Alignment with changes necessary for leaders and employees' organizations to continue to be successful often require them to change some behaviors. Behavior change is a personal choice and requires commitment. This personal aspect of change work is what I enjoy most. There is a predictable pattern to the way individuals process change whether it's personal change or change required by an organization.

My own transition has been to work with individuals and leaders inside or outside of corporations in the midst of transition, with their own unique vision and goals for their future. My clients are:

Individuals transitioning to another career (retirement and/or new work desire)

Leaders who are unclear how to most effectively navigate and guide their people through change and want to become more effective change leaders

Individuals who want to gain clarity about any new chapter in life (new, different, more effective or greater possibility)

Individuals who want help achieving a particular vision or goal

Life Chapters

Common Areas of The Next Chapter Work

Transition to Another Career (retirement and/or new work desire)

Identify your thought patterns to provide self understanding that enables clarity in the process of discovering new work

Experience a series of transition phases to guide and support you to build a new career.